Seafood HACCP

Florida Sea Grant provides national leadership to ensure a safe seafood supply in the United States. Through its participation in the National Seafood HACCP Alliance for Training and Education, Sea Grant provides curriculum and essential training that helps seafood processors and importers meet federal food-safety regulations.

This page contains:

Find the Next Scheduled HACCP Courses

Downloadable Versions of the Seafood HACCP Training Manuals

Seafood Models and Trainer Slide Sets

HACCP (pronounced HASS-ip), stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, and describes a preventative food safety system that is becoming the world standard for food safety. The Seafood HACCP Alliance is a nationwide network of processors, university researchers, and governmental agencies that assists the seafood processing and importing industry with the implementation of HACCP programs. Since 1995, the Alliance has trained almost 90 percent of the nation’s processors in food safety and compliance techniques.

HACCP Training and Education

In cooperation with the Association of Food and Drug Officials, the seafood HACCP alliance has developed a uniform and cost-effective training program for importers, processors and distributors of fish and fishery products. The training assists with the implementation of HACCP programs in commercial and regulatory settings.

Courses have been developed for training in basic HACCP programs and the related Sanitation Control Procedures. Train-the-Trainer courses are also offered. The audience for these programs are the seafood processing and importing industry, regulatory officials and extension agents based in the United States.

Find the next scheduled HACCP courses

2. Online Basic Seafood HACCP Training Course
This is the Basic Seafood HACCP course, delivered online. You must complete the Segment Two Training (below), in person, at a later date, to complete this form of Basic Training.

(SGR-132). 6th Edition, 2017. NEW! This newly revised Seafood HACCP Training Curriculum is the most recent edition of the basic seafood HACCP training manual. It is the training manual that accompanies basic Seafood HACCP training courses offered through the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) in accordance with the Seafood HACCP Protocol, and is required for course completion certificates recognized by AFDO. The 6th edition has added forms and directions to better explain and support the development of appropriate hazard analysis and HACCP plans. All the seafood safety concerns and controls are the same, but the new approach is easier to use and understand. The book also includes changes to address requirements introduced by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Although this new edition is available, you can continue to use the 5th edition to help develop and implement seafood HACCP programs. This one‐page addendum explains the few new additions and minor formatting improvements made in the 6th edition. Download 5th Edition Addendum (PDF)

(SGR-119) First Edition, 2000. Developed by the National Seafood HACCP Alliance for Training and Education. This volume accompanies a course intended to assist the seafood industry in developing and implementing sanitation control procedures as mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These mandates require seafood processors to monitor sanitary control procedures used during processing in order to show their compliance with approved sanitary conditions and practices. Likewise, seafood importers must verify that the seafood imported was processed in accordance with the same FDA mandated HACCP requirements that include sanitation procedure monitoring and records. Also available in Spanish.

FDA has updated the Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations, or GMPs, as part of a broader modernization of food safety regulations. This one-page addendum provides adjustments in corresponding regulations. Download the SGR 119 addendum (PDF)

Models

The editorial committee of the Alliance has developed a number of extra Model HACCP Plans that can be used during the third day of the basic HACCP course or the Segment Two HACCP one-day course. These models are intended to help participants understand the basic principles of HACCP by going through the process of developing their own Hazard Analysis and HACCP plan using the FDA Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guide.

Seafood HACCP Video Series

The US Food and Drug Administration has developed a Seafood HACCP video series to help the seafood industry and federal and state regulators better understand specific concepts described in FDA’s Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance. The series consists of 6 videos:

Time-Temperature Indicators discusses using TTIs to control growth and toxin production by Clostridium botulinum in refrigerated, reduced-oxygen packaged seafood products. This video also includes discussions about the different types of C. botulinum, and controlling C. botulinum through the use of multiple barriers or freezing.

Time and Temperature Controls during Unrefrigerated Processing discusses how to control pathogen growth during unrefrigerated processing of raw ready-to-eat and cooked ready-to-eat seafood products. This video also includes discussions on evaluating time and temperature exposures during unrefrigerated processing and developing time-temperature profiles.

Secondary Processor Receiving and Storage Controls discusses receiving and storage controls for Secondary Processors to control scombrotoxin formation and pathogen growth in seafood products. This video also includes discussions on continuous temperature monitoring, and accuracy checks and calibration of temperature recording equipment.

Heat Process Validation discusses the general factors to consider when validating heat processes for seafood products. This video includes discussions on identifying the target pathogen, pathogen reduction, verifying pathogen reduction, and identifying the controls and critical limits to include in the HACCP plan to ensure a consistently safe product.

Primary Processor Scombrotoxin Controls – Overview and Testing at Receiving discusses the general strategies recommended by FDA for preventing scombrotoxin formation at the receiving critical control point. This video discusses how scombrotoxin is formed, the types of fish susceptible to scombrotoxin formation, monitoring internal temperatures, conducting sensory examinations, and histamine testing considerations.

Primary Processor Scombrotoxin Controls – Harvest Vessel Records discusses the Harvest Vessel Record control strategy recommended by FDA for preventing scombrotoxin formation at the receiving critical control point. This video discusses onboard chilling parameters for different harvest conditions, factors to consider when landing both live and dead fish, and the types of recorded observations, that when included on harvest vessel records, demonstrate that the fish were harvested, handled, and stored aboard the vessel in a manner that prevents scombrotoxin formation.